Chapter 5

1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever
loves the father also loves the child who is born of him.
2By this we
know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his
commandments.
3For this is the love of God, that we keep his
commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
4For whatever is born of
God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world:
your faith.
5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that
Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus
Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the
Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7For there are
three who testify333333Only a few recent manuscripts add “in heaven: the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are
three that testify on earth”:
8the Spirit, and the water, and the
blood; and the three agree as one.
9If we receive the witness of men, the
witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified
concerning his Son.
10He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony
in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has
not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.
11The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life
is in his Son.
12He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have
God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
13These things I have written to you who
believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have
eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of
God.

14This is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything
according to his will, he listens to us.
15And if we know that he listens
to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have
asked of him.

16If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall
ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There
is a sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request
concerning this.
17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not
leading to death.
18We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but
he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
19We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of
the evil one.
20We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an
understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true,
in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

333Only a few recent manuscripts add “in heaven: the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are
three that testify on earth”